Pune: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued new guidelines aimed at reducing noise pollution during the upcoming Ganesh Festival.

Key directives include the installation of digital display boards in Ganesh pandals to show real-time noise levels and limits, along with statutory warnings highlighting the harmful effects of noise pollution on health.

The NGT has mandated real-time monitoring of noise at major intersections during immersion processions.

The NGT's order, issued by judicial member Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Dr. Vijay Kulkarni, places the responsibility for compliance on the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the police.

The decision follows a petition filed by audiologist Dr. Kalyani Mandke through Adv. Maitreya Ghorpade, addressing violations of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules during previous Ganeshotsav celebrations.

The guidelines stipulate that digital display boards should be installed at two locations in each pandal to show current noise levels and limits, including a health warning about noise pollution.

The boards' cost will be covered by the MPCB. Additionally, the police, in collaboration with the MPCB, will decide on permissions for sound systems, restricting them to a maximum of 100 watts. Mandals will be required to specify the number and capacity of speakers when seeking permission.

Further, the police will verify that no more than 30 members participate in dhol-tasha-jhanj groups per mandal during immersion processions, and the use of tolls and DJs will be prohibited, with legal action against violators. In the event of breaches of the noise regulations, the police are empowered to take action under criminal law.

The MPCB will publish the names of rule violators in two local newspapers and on its website within a week of Anant Chaturdashi. The MPCB is also tasked with conducting a broad awareness campaign on the harmful impacts of noise pollution ahead of the festival.